1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to latch assemblies of the type used to releasably maintain a movable closure in a closed state.
2. Background Art
Paddle-operated latch assemblies are well known in the prior art. One exemplary latch assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,853, to Gleason et al. This type of latch assembly is useable in closures in a wide range of environments, for example, on recreational vehicles, trailers, motor homes, tool boxes, etc. In a typical installation, an opening is provided through the closure to accept the latch assembly. The latch assembly may extend fully through the opening to engage either a) an operating linkage to effect locking, as in the case of a tool box, or b) an operating assembly that may include a paddle on the inside, as in the case of a door on a recreational vehicle. In the latter environment, it is known to provide a cup-shaped housing defining a receptacle within which an external paddle resides and to operatively engage the paddle with a latch element behind the housing through an opening in the housing. Typically, this opening will be provided in a wall having a forwardly facing surface at the base of the cup-shaped receptacle. This opening potentially permits ingress of rain and other foreign material through the front oft he latch assembly housing. This opening provides an unimpeded path for windblown rain, dust, and the like, at the front of the latch assembly to between the front and rear walls of the closure and/or to the interior of the space bounded by the closure. The ongoing migration of water through this opening may eventually foul the latch mechanism and/or cause damage to the closure, such as rotting or delamination. Significant ingress of water to the interior space bounded by the closure may cause damage to the contents within that space.
One solution to this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,773 which is assigned to the assignee herein and incorporated herein by reference. A structure is shown therein wherein a paddle has an actuating post extending through the housing, which post is spaced from the peripheral edge of the paddle wall so that the paddle wall fully blocks the housing opening as viewed from the front of the latch assembly.
Typically, the paddles have a flat, rearwardly facing surface that is engageable simultaneously by a plurality of fingers on a user""s hand that is grasping the paddle. It is known to form a series of U-shaped seats for fingers on an edge of the paddle that is grasped. These receptacles appear to act primarily as finger locators and do not seat any appreciable length of a user""s fingers as might contribute significantly to comfort in use.
In one form of the invention, a latch assembly is provided for a movable closure. The latch assembly has a housing with a front, a rear, and a first wall with a forwardly facing surface and an opening through the first wall. The latch assembly further has an actuating assembly including a paddle that is pivotably mounted for movement relative to the housing about a first axis between first and second positions. The paddle has a second wall with a rearwardly facing surface. The actuating assembly further has a post projecting rearwardly from the second wall into the opening through the first wall. The post has a third wall which fully blocks the opening through the first wall as viewed from the front of the latch assembly with the paddle in the first position.
In one form, there is a surface on the third wall that is substantially flat and faces rearwardly with the paddle in the first position.
The third wall may be directly exposed to the first wall with the paddle in the first position.
The third wall may abut directly to the first wall with the paddle in the first position.
In one form, a single piece on the post extends from the second wall and into the opening through the first wall.
In one form, the third wall has an exposed flat surface facing rearwardly with the paddle in the first position and having a first area. The post has a cross-sectional area, taken orthogonally to a fore-and-aft line with the paddle in the first position at a location between the flat surface oft he third wall and the rearwardly facing surface of the second wall, that is less than the first area.
In one form, the post has a cross-sectional area taken orthogonally to a fore-and-aft line with the paddle in the first position and the cross-sectional area of the post decreases progressively over at least a portion of the post between the flat surface of the third wall and the rearwardly facing surface of the second wall.
In one form, the paddle has a portion that is graspable by a hand of a user to be drawn forwardly by a user to change the paddle from the first position to the second position, with the paddle having a concave surface against which a finger on the hand of a user that is grasping the graspable portion can bear.
In one form, there is one piece that defines the post and at least a part of the second wall on the paddle.
In one form, there is a peripheral edge around the flat surface on the third wall and the post has a portion which projects from the flat surface on the third wall. The post portion is spaced from the peripheral edge around the flat surface on the third wall so that the flat surface on the third wall extends fully around the post portion and the post portion projects into the opening through the first wall with the paddle in the first position.
The housing may have a forwardly opening, cup-shaped receptacle, with the paddle residing within the receptacle with the paddle in the first position.
In one form, the second wall has a width taken orthogonally to the first axis and there is concave receptacle on the rearwardly facing surface of the second wall that extends at least one-third the width of the second wall for receiving a finger on a hand of a user grasping the hand-graspable portion of the paddle.
In one form, the surface on the third wall has a first area and the opening through the first wall has a second area as viewed from the front of the latch assembly and the first area is greater than the second area.
In one form, the latch assembly further includes a latch element that is movable between a latched position and a released position and the post drives the latch element from one of the latched and released position into the other of the latched and released position as an incident of the paddle moving from the first position into the second position.
The invention is also directed to a latch assembly having a housing with a front, a rear, and a first wall with a forwardly facing surface and an opening through the first wall. The latch assembly further has an actuating assembly with a paddle that is pivotably mounted for movement relative to the housing about a first axis between first and second positions. The paddle has a second wall with a rearwardly facing surface. The actuator assembly further has a post projecting rearwardly from the second wall into the opening through the first wall and having a third wall. The third wall has an exposed flat surface facing rearwardly with the paddle in the first position and having a first area and the post has a cross-sectional area, taken orthogonally to a fore-and-aft line with the paddle in the first position at a location between the flat surface on the third wall and the rearwardly facing surface of the second wall, that is less than the first area.